The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-07-30
THE SULTANS HAREM.
HOW AFRENCH OFFICER STOLE
AN INMATE IN A CROWD.
A Story of the Time OF the Crimean
Wharf.-The Enormous Fuss Which
the Sultan Made About the Mat
ter. and What Came of II.
[From tie Baltimore Americana

~
army corps was CHARTERED In CONSTANT
nople, placed there to protect the num-
erous hospitals and to guard prisoners.
One day, when the women Of the Sui
tan's household were visiting the bazaar,
a Young army surgeon, taking advantage
of a moment when the crowd was con
densed, successfully abducted one OF
them. He stole with her through the
bazar, crossed the narrJw street, and
concealed her in the European quarter,
called Para. It is difficult Ia conceive
how this affair could have been success
fully carried through, az II Is almost I'M
possible to elude the vigilance OF the eu-
nuchs; besides, the principal ectors II
this escapade had never sssn each Ot4er
before, and neither one could understand
a word Of the others language. Does It
not prove that the desire TOR Liberty Is
deeply implanted in every human soul!
The poor 81 .ye OF the hartm leaves the
comforts Of tie only shelter she has ever
known, and joyfullv intr7sts herself TO
the protection of u stranger, so wear,ed
is she of her hated bonds. Be 1t said IN
Justice to this young officer, VITO WAS
gallant max and the possessor OF en am
pie fortune. that he had but che end In
view, namely, to give liberty to this Gn-
happy woman. One can scarcely imagine
the tumult that ensued when the eunuchs
in charge found that one Of their number
had disappeared. The Turks cried cat
It the saerilege, the police were quickly
summoned and the bazaar thoroughly
searched, but all to no purpose. The
hour for the return to the harem having
struck, the carriages were obliged to
start homeward, notwith standing the fzet
that in one CT them was a vacant sat,
nod judging By the CONSERVATION deppt-
ed upon the faces of the eunuchs In
charge, it was very easy to divine thai
heavy punishment awaited them. Alright
fall the regular police were reinforced By
q large number Of detectives, and the
search was vigorously prosecuted, While
immense rewards were offered for the
discovery ofthe unhappy fugitive At
the end Of three days she was found and
brought in triumph ba.,k to the hArem,
where, according to the brutal custom,
she had to suffer the penalty of a horri-
bic death IN the prese nee Of her tcrmer
companions. Tie punishment IN this
case was even more terrible than that
usually inflicted. Tie fact of the young
officer being Christian operated strong
IL against her. Decapitaticn aloce was
deemed toe mild penalty, and 1t was
commonly reported that the peer run
away was, bound between two pieces Of
wood, then sawed through the middle Of
/, the body and thrown into the sea.
l Of
followed by the discovery Of the name Of
the offi1er, and thsreupon his head was
demanded and reward offered for it.
On the arrival Of the troops IN Constsn-
tinopIe orders wore issaed at the army
headquarters imposing tie necessity upon
the part Of the soldiers, officers, and file
/ alike to observe. due respect to all the
customs Of the city, and especially was
there al edict OF non-interference with
Turkish women. Tie officer who had
thus violated orders was liable to severe
punishment, while tie Large reward Of
fered for his head by the Turkish author
rites caused the camp TO be swGrmed
with spies, and on several occasions the
sentinels on guard found it necessary to
fire upon suspicious characters lurking
in the vicinity.
Finding it impossible by these means
to secure the person of the officer, other
steps were resortej to, and few days
later the Generalin charge Of the troope
was himself summoned to the presence
of the Sultan. Accompanied by his staff
he appeared at the palace. This palace
is built at the edge of the water and Tn
der the brow OF barren hill. At ths
distance of loo feet one would not imag
inc that palace could exist in such Z
place; nevertheless, the style of it is fine
1t is built entirely Of white marble AM
surrounded By wall. AT the principa